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Edward Nigma (Batman 1966 TV Series)
| Last = Legends of the Superheroes (TV Special) | HistoryText = Overview The Riddler was a criminal from Gotham City, a persistent nemesis of Batman and Robin. Early Life Not much is known about the Riddler's early life. On one occasion, it was mentioned that he was a high school dropout. Criminal Career The Riddler committed a wide variety of crimes over his life, some aimed purely toward profit and others toward destroying - or unmasking - his archenemy Batman. Unlike arch-criminals such as the Joker or the Penguin, who only occasionally sent clues hinting at their future crimes, the Riddler would always send Gotham's law enforcement a riddle before embarking on a crime spree. ''Riddler v. Batman'' On one occasion, the Riddler attempted to destroy Batman by utilizing the law instead of opposing it. The wily criminal delivered two riddles pointing to a heist at the Peale Art Gallery, one attached to a bomb laid at the Gotham's World Fair and the other via direct telephone call to Batman. Upon arriving at the gallery, Batman and Robin saw the Riddler apparently taking a jeweled cross from the gallery owner at gunpoint, and immediately arrested the Riddler. In response, the Riddler gleefully stated that he had done nothing wrong; the cross was his property, on loan to the gallery owner, and said gallery owner had never been held at gunpoint (the "gun" was a novelty cigarette lighter). Subsequently, the Riddler sued Batman for false arrest, knowing that once the case went to court, Batman would have to remove his mask to testify. Both parties, however, were aware that the lawsuit would be invalidated if the plaintiff - Riddler - was caught in an illegal act himself. Thus, the Dynamic Duo began to investigate Riddler's plans in earnest, and soon found two more riddles hidden in the subpoena that Riddler had issued Batman. Batman and Robin followed the riddles to a local nightclub, as the Riddler had planned; since Robin was too young to enter, he was left outside to guard the Batmobile, while Batman investigated alone. Once the Dynamic Duo split up, the Riddler and his underlings began a two-pronged attack. Inside the club, the Riddler's moll Molly gave Batman a drink spiked with sleeping pills, while outside, the Riddler himself shot Robin with a tranquilizer gun. The Riddler's plans for the Batmobile, however, were less successful. After the car resisted all attempts to steal or destroy it, the Riddler was forced to settle for kidnapping the unconscious Robin instead. | Powers = The Riddler possessed no superhuman abilities. | Abilities = | Strength = | Weaknesses = | Equipment = * Laughing Gas | Transportation = | Weapons = | Notes = Behind the Scenes For the majority of the 1966 Batman series' run, the Riddler was played by American actor and comedian Frank Gorshin. Unlike many of his co-stars, Gorshin had been a fan of Batman comic books since childhood, and expressed a particular fondness for the Riddler. Rather fittingly, Gorshin's performance would firmly entrench the Riddler (who had appeared in only three comic book storylines prior to 1966) as one of Batman's most famous enemies. Gorshin's Riddler was the main villain of Batman's very first episode, a move that allegedly stemmed from the fact that the Riddler was "safer" in appearance than more well-known villains such as the Joker or the Penguin. The Riddler's (relatively) mundane costume and physical features were supposedly meant to placate the ABC Network executives whom the show was being marketed to. According to Gorshin, he underwent no formal audition for the role of the Riddler. "The key," he recalled, "Had to be his Riddler's laugh". To this end, Gorshin created a deranged, high-pitched cackle for the Riddler, which firmly established the character as simultaneously whimsical and menacing. The laugh proved to be incredibly iconic for Gorshin's Riddler, arguably even more so than that of Cesar Romero's Joker. In addition to the laugh, Gorshin's portrayal of the Riddler established two even more iconic traits for the character. One was the "Riddle me this/riddle me that" catchphrase, which came to be associated with the character in general. The other was the Riddler's "alternative" costume: a bowler hat, tie, and green suit, all carrying question marks. Gorshin created the outfit himself and wore it whenever possible, as he disliked wearing the character's traditional spandex costume; today, the outfit has become widely accepted as the Riddler's primary costume. Overall, Gorshin's Riddler was (and continues to be) widely lauded by audiences and critics alike as one of the greatest - if not the greatest - of the villains featured on the 1966 Batman series. During the show's first season, Gorshin's Riddler appeared in more storylines than any other villain, and was even nominated for an Emmy Award (for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series). However, despite the popularity of Gorshin's Riddler, strains began to appear between Gorshin and the producers of the show as the show entered its second season. Gorshin began to request a larger salary for his appearances, which the producers refused to grant, as the show was already undergoing budget cuts. During these negotiations, a storyline planned for the Riddler was re-tooled to instead feature a new villain, the Puzzler. After the salary disputes drove Gorshin from the show entirely, the Riddler was re-cast with actor John Astin, best known for portraying Gomez Addams on The Addams Family. Astin's Riddler appeared in only one storyline - ultimately the only storyline in Batman's second season to feature the Riddler. Though Gorshin expressed his distaste at being replaced, he continued to maintain that the replacement had stemmed from the show's shooting schedule conflicting with his commitments to a nightclub. Eventually, after Batman had entered its third season, Gorshin's Riddler returned to the series for one more storyline. The Riddler made his final appearance in the show's penultimate episode, alongside the Joker, the Penguin, Catwoman, Egghead, and King Tut. Like those of the Riddler's fellow arch-criminals, this appearance was played by an uncredited actor. | Trivia = | DC = | Wikipedia = | Recommended = | Links = }} Category:1966 Character Debuts Category:Identity Unknown Category:1966 Character Debuts Category:Identity Unknown